Another German Minister Felled by Plagiarism Claims

By

Harriet Torry

Feb 11, 2013 2:01 pm EST

The latest political scandal in Germany isn’t about sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll — or even money. It’s about the rather unglamorous accusation of PhD plagiarism. But allegations that Education Minister Annette Schavan copied sections of her doctoral dissertation more than 30 years ago led to her resignation Saturday after her university revoked her doctorate, an embarrassment for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government at the start of her re-election campaign.

Ms. Schavan, a close ally of Ms. Merkel, denies the accusations, and said she bade farewell to her “dear Angela” with a heavy heart. But the scandal raises questions over the political elite and the vanity that may have driven some to cut corners to gain a prestigious academic title. The ethical concerns could prove damaging to Ms. Merkel’s cabinet — more than half of whose members hold doctorates — just seven months ahead of a parliamentary vote.

New digital technology — like anti-plagiarism software, wiki pages and citizens’ blogs — have taken Germany’s academic elite by the horns, and the downfall of the education minister is the latest coup for online activists. When Ms. Schavan, 57 years old, graduated from Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf as a doctor of philosophy in 1980, little could she have foreseen that her words would one day be at the mercy of computer scanners, algorithms and giant online databases.

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